At the age of 91, Honey joined a memoir-writing class and wrote Waddle and Jumbo: A Tale of Two Ducks, a true story about an incident that happened when her younger daughter, Shari, was a child. Shortly thereafter, Honey phoned her oldest granddaughter, Suzanne, and asked if she would listen to her story, a dramatic tale about learning the importance of friendship and of letting go.

Suzanne, a book author, was so impressed with the story that she felt it should be illustrated and published. A month later while visiting Bend, Oregon, Suzanne stopped by the art gallery of her good friend Cristina Acosta, a local painter. In one corner of Cristina’s gallery, Suzanne noticed the colorful artwork of Cristina’s 8-year-old daughter, Isabella, who had been painting since the age of 8 months. Suzanne thought Isabella would be the perfect artist to illustrate Grandma’s book. Isabella gladly accepted the commission and spent the summer of 2002 working on the project — conceiving the idea for each illustration, sketching out the concepts and then, finally, painting.

For design and production, Suzanne turned to her sister Jennifer, a graphic designer. The sisters worked together to lay out the pages. Once they had a mock-up, they approached their Grandpa Julius, Honey’s husband of 67 years, about publishing an edition. Julius enthusiastically agreed to fund the project. Jennifer was responsible for the final steps: printing and binding.

Waddle and Jumbo was presented to Grandma Honey by her grandchildren at the family’s annual Chanukah party, on December 6, 2002. A month later, the book was unveiled during a party at Bridge Point, where Honey lives. The most thrilling part for Honey was that Isabella and her mother flew in for the occasion. The party featured a phenomenal cake that was decorated exactly like the cover of Honey’s book — a true work of art in itself.